Lewis and Larry
by alegriamarkerbox
Summary: What happened while Lewis and Larry were exploring in the episode "Lewis and Clark and Larry?" Larry learns of Lewis's daily struggles, including his mental health and unstable relationship with Clark. Unable to help Lewis in a way that might alter the future, Larry reflects sadly on the fate of his friend once the mission is accomplished.


After a long afternoon of exploring the banks of the Missouri River, Lewis and Larry were exhausted. They set up a camp overlooking a rushing stream and ate dinner over a campfire. Larry remained silent during the meal, while Lewis observed a handful of leaves and berries, an inquisitive smile on his face. Once dusk began to fall, Lewis put out the fire and spread open a wide knapsack on a soft spot of grass.

"What a large sleeping bag for one person," Larry observed, setting up the spare bag that Lewis had lent him. "You must toss and turn often?"

"Oh." Lewis blushed. "Yes, um, I didn't expect things to work out like they did today… If I had known that Clark would be gone and you would be coming along instead, of course I would've packed a narrower bag."

"You mean to say that you and Clark-"

"Okay, Clark and I sleep together," Lewis said abruptly. "Look, it's just him and me all alone out here, we're exploring and never staying in the same place. Who knows how long we'll be exploring? President Jefferson said it could be years. So please, just understand!"

"Oh, I understand completely," Larry replied, thinking of Buck, who was exploring with Otto and Clark. Were they okay?

"We knew that this would happen as soon as we set off from the East," Lewis explained. "It's just for now, until we're done exploring. Clark says that as soon as he gets back home, he's going to find a wife and start a family. He wants a wife and children badly."

"What about you?"

"Me? I wish I could marry and all, but… I just don't see it working out for me."

"Come on now, Lewis. You are a smart, intelligent man. You will find someone special, I know it." Actually, Larry did not know. If Otto were here, he would be able to blab for hours about what happened after the expedition. He would know how many children Clark would have, whether or not Lewis would find love…

"Just- forget it." Lewis glanced at the setting sun and reached into his satchel. "I have something I need to do before it gets dark." He pulled a razor from the bag.

"Lewis, what are you doing?" Larry leapt up from his seat and reached for the blade, but Lewis stood and made his way to the river.

"I'm just going to have a quick shave, while there's still a bit of sunlight," he said, running a hand across his jaw. "Come with me." They knelt by the river, and Lewis splashed the clear water upon his face. "You know, I was in the military for a while before I began to work for the President," Lewis said, smiling. "We always had to keep a well-shaven face back then. But ten years later, here I am, all alone out west, and I still can't stand the least bit of stubble." He chuckled, and examined his chin in his pocket mirror. "But Clark, on the other hand? He was in the military too, but he was dying to grow his sideburns…" He stopped suddenly and began to cry.

"Lewis, what's the matter?" Larry asked.

"I- I'm fine. Even the littlest things make me feel…" He sniffled and rose. "I'm sorry. Clark knows how I get sometimes."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He knows how much it hurts me to just… function, you know? It's so hard for me to wake up and get moving on some days," Lewis said. "I feel down and worthless. Some mornings I look forward to exploring and I know how great things we'll accomplish. Other days, I feel hopeless. Like we'll fail and be a complete disappointment to Jefferson. And I can't get excited for the trip ahead."

"Did you ever feel like this before the expedition, before you met Clark? About things other than your expedition?"

"Yes. For many years. Since I was younger, my teenage years, if I remember. I just want to go to bed now, Larry. The past few days have been so difficult." Although dusk had just begun to settle, Larry agreed and followed his companion to their campsite.

"Try to sleep well tonight, okay, Lewis?"

"I'll try my best," Lewis sighed, pulling the sleeping bag cover over himself. "Goodnight, Larry."

A few hours passed. Larry had been staring at the sky above, not quite tired, when he heard Lewis whisper his name.

"Is something the matter?"

"I can't sleep." Lewis sat up and pulled his knees to his chest. "This happens all the time. It's odd; I feel so sleepy during the day, and I may not want to wake up in the morning, but at night, I can't actually fall asleep."

"Odd, indeed. You poor thing. I brought along some chamomile tea in our picnic basket. Would you like me to brew you a mug?"

"Yes, please." While Larry prepared the drink, Lewis hoisted himself back upon the log where they had dined earlier that evening and sat silently. When Larry returned with the cup of tea, he took it and cradled it in his hands, as if to warm them. "Sometimes I feel like I want to sleep forever and never wake up."

Larry took a seat beside Lewis and gasped. "Lewis, that sounds serious. You need help. But there is nothing to be ashamed of; it's something chemical messing with your mind. Where I'm from, we have all kinds of doctors and therapies and medications…" He stopped, realizing that this was, indeed, only 1804. Whatever was wrong with his new companion did not even have a name yet.

"Really?"

"Well… I'm from a very different time. Far into the future."

"Oh."  
"But for now, I think that talking might help you feel better. Did you and Clark ever talk about how you're feeling? You said he knows about this."

"He knows, and I try to talk, whenever I feel like I can, but I don't think he really listens. Or cares. I'm here to explore with him, first and foremost, and to, well, satisfy him too. I know that this expedition is going to end one day, and we'll go home and return to normal, but I'm worried. I'm really worried." He began to sob. "What's going to happen to Clark and me? Will we still even be friends or see each other after this is all over?"

"Oh, I'm certain that you will. Even if you two move on, you can still be friendly. Maybe even live close to one another-"  
"I love Clark, Larry!" Lewis suddenly bawled. "I really do love him! As lazy and sloppy and rude as he is! As much as he never listens to me, and even though he doesn't love me like I do him I can't stand to be away from him!"

Larry embraced Lewis tightly as he leaned his head into his metal chest. He took Lewis's warm hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "There, there," he whispered.

"I do everything for Clark. I wash his clothes, make his meals, and make sure that he bathes! I do all the planning and mapping and research that he should be helping with instead," Lewis continued, choking with sobs. "He never thanks me and keeps asking for more and more and-"

"Why don't you ask him to take care of his own self?" Larry interrupted, scowling. "He can't just freeload. He's a grown man. Teach him to do his own laundry and cook and read maps."

"I- I can't, Larry! I can't!"  
"And why not?"

"He needs me! Don't you know how it feels to actually have someone need you and depend on you?"  
"I know very well," Larry huffed. "But he shows no appreciation or ambition, Lewis. He simply takes without giving. It is one thing to take care of someone who needs help, but… to have a parasitic relationship with him?"

"Don't you see? I'm a useless person, Larry! And for once in years I feel useful! Someone needs me!"

"You are not useless or worthless, Lewis! And you don't need Clark's laziness to prove that you aren't! Now, how many men are chosen by the President of this nation to explore its uncharted lands? And how many men are ever going to live through an adventure like this? Just two men, Lewis- you and Clark. That's a special honor that only you two can share. So even when this is all over, when you each go your own separate ways, you'll still have that bond and all of these wonderful memories all to yourselves. Years and years from now, you two will meet up and talk about how much fun you had, all of the beautiful sites you got to explore! The love may not carry on, but the friendship certainly will."

Lewis managed a weak but genuine smile. "You really think so?"

"Of course. Why, look at Tuddrussel and Otto and myself. It isn't every man, boy, and robot who gets to travel back in time and save the future for a living. We three have our disagreements, but we'll always be able to look back on our missions together. Not that our missions are always delightful, but… it's just the three of us, and we do have some fun sometimes, and if you ask me, that's what makes our unit special."

"Someday I hope to find someone like you, Larry." Lewis smiled again, then leaned forward and gave Larry a kiss. "You'll be leaving soon?"

"Eventually. It all depends on whether or not Tuddrussel and… Lewis, don't worry about me leaving."

"Why shouldn't I?"

Larry found himself beginning to feel annoyed. "You can't keep clinging to other people. I can't stay here forever, and neither can the rest of the Time Squad. We'll leave once our job is done. As soon as you get back home, you'll need to see a doctor who can take care of you, but for now, focus on taking care of your own self. And as for me… well, I promise I'll never forget about you, and I hope you won't forget about me."

"I won't," Lewis said, giving Larry a tight hug.

"Your future will be bright, Lewis, and your legacy great. No one will ever forget about you. Even in centuries to come." Both looked at one another and shared another kiss- this one longer, Lewis's hands pressed into Larry's.

"Now," Larry said, his voice lowered, "we're presumably here to help you and Clark reunite and discover the western states. We'll help you two work out your problems and get back together. Then you two are free to enjoy the time you two have left together. But afterwards you'll both have to move on."

"H-how much time will w-we have?" Lewis stammered.

"I don't know for certain." Again, Larry reminded himself, Otto would know…

"P-please help us, Larry! You can change the future, can't you? Please fix this! Oh, Clark would leave me if we weren't by ourselves!" Lewis cried. "J-just let us be alone forever! Just us two!" He began to shake and sob even harder. "Just us two and nobody else forever!"

"Lewis, I can't do… Look, we have one, simple mission to accomplish and we're going to follow the rules. I'm not getting us into trouble, and I can't just magically change everything so that…" He realized that Lewis was weeping too hard to hear his voice. "You poor, poor, inconsolable thing." Larry could not feel annoyed or impatient any longer. For once, Lewis had someone to talk to, someone who would consider his feelings and comfort him.

Larry stroked Lewis's head with one hand and twisted the dials on his chest with the other. After a brief search, he stopped at an AM station- one of his own favorites for whenever he had a difficult time falling asleep on the satellite. Satie's first _Gymnopédie_ was playing, and Larry whispered softly into Lewis's ear. "Shh. Everything is going to be okay. Let's try to get some sleep." He reached for the pillow on the ground and let Lewis embrace it tightly while his sobs quieted. Eventually he fell asleep, and Larry carefully carried him back to his sleeping bag. He knelt beside Lewis and continued stroking his hair above his ear after he gently dabbed the tears from his face.

The next morning, Lewis stayed asleep, curled up and face-down on the pillow. "I'm not feeling it today," he said sadly. "You can go off, if you want."

"No, I'd like to stay here with you."

"In that case, come on." Lewis began to rise and dress.

"Are you sure, Lewis?"

"You're my guest." He laced up his boots and adjusted his tricorn hat. "I guess I've never really missed a day so far, no matter how I've felt."

The two strolled alongside the river. "See how clear this water is," Lewis mused, crouching on the shore and dipping a hand in a small ripple above a rock. "And how cool. A swim would feel nice."

"No thank you," Larry said. "Water is bad for my wiring. And besides, I'll rust. You feel free to do as you wish. I think I'll explore along these woods for a bit." He gestured to a line of evergreens behind them.

Lewis dropped his satchel and hat upon a patch of sandy soil and sat down to peel off his boots. He glanced at Larry, who gasped and quickly turned his head to the side.

"Sorry. I guess I'm not shy. I'm so used to doing this with Clark here, you know?"

Larry kept his back to Lewis but turned his head around just enough to see Lewis strip down in the corner of his eye. He could not help but giggle to himself. Lewis looked much less gawky without clothes; he had a slight, soft paunch and a round bottom, in contrast to Tuddrussel's tight six-pack and sculpted glutes, which Larry found quite adorable. Smiling slyly, he snuck off to the woods once he heard the splash behind him.

That afternoon, the two sat down in a shaded spot for a picnic. "I am very sorry about the other night," Lewis said, pouring Larry a cup of tea. "Now you see what Clark has to deal with? It annoys him. He tells me he hates dealing with me when I'm like this."

"Just another reason why you two cannot be any more than just… exploring partners. Or friends."

Lewis kept silent. "How did you do that last night?"

"Do what?"

"With the music?"

"Oh! It's a radio. Future technology."

"May I have one?"

"It's future technology, like I said. Regulations would forbid such a thing. Wait another century."

"I really liked that music." Lewis smiled gently. "It helped me fall asleep. Like a lullaby. My mother and my sister used to sing to my little brother and me before bed when we were younger." He began to hum one of the tunes. "That was many years ago. I miss them terribly."

"Are they all still here?"

"My mother, brother, and sister are. Back home."

"What about your…" Larry began to ask, but he stopped, seeing Lewis frown.

"He died when I was a boy. I barely remember him. Reuben, my brother, doesn't remember him at all. He was just a baby then. My sister, Jane, and our mother remember him, of course. Mother remarried later, but I wasn't around my stepfather much."

"I'm sorry to hear about that." Larry sat beside Lewis and noticed a small book poking from beneath the pillow. "Is that a notebook of some sorts?"

"Oh! This is my journal. Or one of them." Lewis opened the book to the first blank page. "Jefferson asked Clark and me to keep detailed journals. I sketch in mine often." He pointed to a very detailed picture of a wildflower on the opposite page. "I saw this flower yesterday morning. Remember? It was the yellow one with the red center."

"I don't recall. But that is a beautiful sketch."

"Thank you," Lewis said, blushing. "We're hoping that maybe one day, our journals will be published for everyone to read. So they can relive our expedition." He took Larry's hand, and their eyes met.

"I know this sounds, um, inappropriate," Lewis said, a bit ashamed, "but some afternoons, after hours of hiking, I need a bit of, well, something to boost my energy."

"Like what?"

"It's really no big deal," Lewis answered, beginning to stammer. "I-I can please myself. You don't need to look or do anything to me or…"

"Will you let me, though?"

"Really? You're okay with…" He glanced up and down at Larry. "You're capable? Usually Clark would do me, since he's eager to stick…"

Larry put a finger to his mouth and chuckled. "I _was_ programmed to serve, Lewis. I have performed some much more… shameful acts before. Besides," he added abruptly, "I watched you undress before you went swimming."

"Oh, did you?" Lewis giggled and wrapped his arms around Larry. They kissed while Larry ran his fingers through Lewis's hair and brushed it upwards, knocking his tricorn to the ground. They embraced more tightly and Larry slid a hand right where he had wanted to slide it earlier, while catching a glimpse of his companion's bare body, and unbuckled his belt.

"Oh, Larry…" Lewis moaned, feeling a firm and metallic, but pleasant squeeze. He suddenly jerked back.

"What's wrong, Lewis?"

Lewis's face went deep scarlet. "This just doesn't feel right."

"It's because I'm made of metal, isn't it? Or because I lack anatomy?"

"No, no," Lewis exclaimed, re-zipping his pants. "It isn't you. I just have so much on my mind, you know? It makes it hard for me to enjoy. That's another issue that bothers the hell out of Cla-"

"No worries," Larry blurted, draping an arm around Lewis's shoulder. "Let's take the rest of today easy. Give yourself a bit of time off. Clear your mind. Make some sketches, perhaps."

"That sounds great to me," Lewis remarked taking his journal from his bag and clutching it to his chest like a favorite toy. "You know, I'm hoping to visit with some animals. I need to add some more fauna to my sketch collection, and I think I will feel better if I see some deer. Deer are my favorite, and once we make our way further west, we should see some bison, too."

Once the Time Squad had finished the mission and returned to the satellite, Otto and Tuddrussel headed right to bed for much-needed rest after their disastrous expedition with Clark. The following morning after breakfast, while a fully-recovered Otto and Tuddrussel went off to romp around the satellite, Larry crept into Otto's room and took a long look at the towering shelf of history books and biographies. "He _must_ have something informative here." Then, a thick volume with a bright red spine and a bit of yellowing around the pages caught his eye.

" _The Lives of Famous Explorers_ ," Larry read aloud from its spine. He opened its front cover to see "Property of A. Osworth" scrawled within a top corner in blue ink. "A. Osworth?" Larry wondered aloud. "I wonder…" He shrugged, then turned to the lengthy chapter about Lewis and Clark and began to read silently.

 _William Clark… born in 1770… married Julie Hancock in 1808 and gave children… Julie died in 1820 and Clark remarried her cousin, with whom he had three children… he died in 1838, aged 68_.

 _Captain Meriwether Lewis was born in 1774 in Virginia… In 1809, he followed the Natchez Trace to Washington and stayed at an inn southwest of Nashville, Tennessee on the evening of October 18_ _th_ _, where he was found bleeding heavily, with gunshot wounds to the head and stomach… he died in the early morning hours of October 19_ _th_ _… Modern historians, as well as Clark and Jefferson, have accepted Lewis's mysterious death as a suicide… He had made out a will prior to his trip to Washington and had reportedly attempted suicide early in the journey, but was stopped… He was believed to have abused opioids and alcohol prior to his passing and suffered from financial difficulties… He had never married and reportedly had no success with romantic relationships… Described by friends as a "dandy"…_

 _Lewis and Clark have been honored by their contributions to natural history, geography, and westward expansion… a genus of flowering plants are named for Lewis, as well as various species of flora and fauna, including a woodpecker, a trout, and a monkeyflower… His journals, which have been in publication for decades, are widely treasured and provide rich accounts of what he saw daily… He has left behind an unmatchable legacy…_

"Only thirty-five and all alone. All alone and hurting." Larry sighed and dropped the open book into his lap. He stared at the word: suicide. Lewis committed it. Clark suspected it. It had likely been planned. It had failed the first time. It was unimaginably painful and slow. "But no one forgot about you, Lewis. Not even the plants and the animals…"

Suddenly, Otto burst into the room, covered in what appeared to be splatters of food, his glasses sliding off of the bridge of his nose. "Larry! Larry!"

"Ah!" Larry nearly jumped from his seat. "Oh. What is it, Otto?"

"Oh, gosh, Larry! Tuddrussel and I were playing, but then he went running around in your kitchen, and he broke that glass cake stand you really liked! I'm sorry, Larry! I tried to stop him, I really did, but he wouldn't listen to me and…" Otto saw the book balanced upon Larry's knees and grinned. "Hey, what book is that you're reading?"

"Shh. Nothing that would interest you. Just a light read," Larry whispered, closing the heavy book and embracing a surprised Otto. "I'll have a talk with that man-child in a minute. But thank you anyway. You _tried_ to stop him, and that's what matters."


End file.
